The vital role of groundwater and the need to manage it sustainably can no longer be overlooked, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations annual World Water Development Report (WWDR).
The report entitled 'Groundwater: Making the invisible visible', was launched this week, and outlines the critical importance of groundwater in global food security.
Accounting for approximately 99% of all liquid freshwater on earth according to the report, it is central to food and water security, the fight against poverty and the mitigation of climate change.
The economic contribution of groundwater in agriculture is estimated by the FAO to be up to $230 billion per year, globally.
It plays an essential role in food production, supply and security as an irrigation source for crops. The FAO has said that as demand for food grows, it is imperative that this resource is managed more sustainably.
The report states:
"With a projected increase of 50% in the demand for food, feed and biofuels by 2050, relative to 2012 levels, the depletion of groundwater, left unabated, threatens to undermine food security, basic water supplies and resilience to the climate crisis on a global scale."
Groundwater reliance
The FAO report states that countries such as India and Pakistan which are heavily reliant on groundwater owe a lot the natural resource.
The report outlines that in India, groundwater serves an estimated 60% of the country's irrigated areas, while its neighbour Pakistan is the fourth largest user of the resource.
Without it, the FAO said these countries would struggle to feed themselves, and the country could experience poverty levels that existed before the use of groundwater was possible.
Heavy reliance on this resource and depletion of its supply is not the only issue at hand according to the report. Intense use of fertilisers and pesticides is causing pollution to the remaining supplies in underground reservoirs.
According to the FAO, these strong connections between the agriculture industry and groundwater are why the sector must play a critical role in addressing the issue.
Recommendations
The report outlines opportunities for optimising the use of groundwater to ensure long-term sustainability.
The FAO encourages countries to consider a range of nature-based options for managing their water storage, such as natural reservoirs as well as surface water storage in flood plains, wetlands and naturally meandering rivers.
It also states: "There is an urgent need to make agriculture more efficient.
"Water productivity in agriculture can be improved by reducing water losses through modernising irrigation systems, better water management and by increasing crop productivity through the use of higher yielding, nutritious crop varieties."
The report also recommended continuous monitoring of groundwater consumption, particularly in irrigated areas serviced by non-renewable aquifers, outlining that doing so is also crucial for its sustainable use.
